Kiwi value chain in Arunachal Pradesh: issues and prospects

Abstract

This paper examines some issues related to the production and marketing of kiwi in Arunachal Pradesh, the largest producer of kiwis in India. It contributes 56.5% of the total 8.5 thousand tons of kiwis produced in the country. India imports 75% of its domestic demand for fresh kiwis and, therefore, there is huge scope to upscale kiwi production in north-eastern states in general and Arunachal Pradesh in particular. However, developing an efficient value chain is a challenge because of several infrastructural and institutional constraints like the non-availability of reliable data on production, lack of research and extension support, lack of organized marketing and post-harvest infrastructure, poor credit support, etc. A few solutions suggested for upscaling the kiwi production are : the formation of ‘Kiwi Producers Groups (KPGs)’, a dedicated research centre for kiwi, and sufficient credit flow to farmers.